Saving Lotte Sullivan | Collingwood/Carlton

106: We're Not Twins

'What are they yacking about?' Bella Rendell asked, as she sat down at the long kitchen table, salad in her hand.

Claudia Piva, still trying to finish her book from a few days ago, annoyed, closed the pages and looked up in repressed anger. Maybe one day.

'Ay Boydo - De Koning and your mate are at it outside' Jack Carroll said, a smirk on his face.

A small, fit looking athletic woman suddenly stepped into the kitchen, and upon seeing Jordan Boyd rolled her eyes and pulled a face.

'Yeah, I know. Tom's been trying to catch her for ages. I finally convinced her to come in, I mean, how good am I?' Jordan Boyd asked, flexing his arm muscles and deliberately showing off.

'Um, Adam convinced her. Adam was the one who drove her here' Claudia said, raising her eyebrows. 'If you're going to lie, at least make it worthwhile' she added.

'Man, you'd be fun at parties' Jordan said, rolling his eyes.

'Danijela, could you please pass the salt?' Bella suddenly asked, mouth half full. She longingly stared at the canister of salt, sitting too far away. The athletic woman gave her a look, and turned away.

Claudia and Bella exchanged a look, as if to say the woman was insane. Jack Silvagni entered the room, hair dripping from the rain.

'Fish, list management are looking for you' he suddenly said, noticing one of his best mates' standing over by the coffee machine.

'Why?' Zac asked, a worried expression on his face, hoping he wasn't on the chopping board. Jack shrugged.

'They didn't say. They just want you up there in the next half hour. Man, it is POURING DOWN out there. I'm used to my ex wife coming to stalk me, but even she's trying to avoid the weather. Bloody Melbourne' he complained, sitting down.

'Can you please pass the salt?' Bella asked him. Reaching out, he went to push it towards her, but the athletic woman 'Danijela' just grabbed it and put it in her pocket.

'Psycho alert' Jack said, rolling his eyes and pretending to hold a gun to his head with his fingers.

Outside the kitchen, on one of the infamous Carlton Football Club grandstands, Lotte Sullivan sat next to the incredibly tall, blonde player, laughing about everything and nothing in particular.

'Sorry I harassed Boydy so bad to get you down here, man. I just had to say, I really am sorry for Bianca's behaviour and what she did. We completely owe you. She's horrible to most people every other time, but what she did to you - it really was unforgivable' Tom De Koning explained, a look of regret splashed across his face. He stared out at the rain, drenching the football oval and quickly turning dirt into mud.

'I mean, I just live with the what if questions every day. What if Monique and Bella hadn't found me. What then? Would Layla, Oscar and I have died?' Lotte asked nervously, tightly holding onto the railing in front of her, chin on the bar. She was tired.

'Yeah, and the trauma that must've left you with - completely unnecessary. I'm really sorry about Bianca. I can't apologise enough. We've had several talks about it, but she says she doesn't like you. In case you didn't already know, and I don't want to be stepping on too many toes here, but she is good friends with Tatijana Umbers - you know, Josh's ex' Tom explained.

And then, it all clicked into place.

'That makes a LOT more sense now. Tatijana and Ashleigh Templeton have had it out for me ever since I first met Josh. Great, now there's another one to look out for. Warn me of any others, I really need to start watching my back. I mean, obviously' Lotte said, rolling her eyes.